Undying Warmth
by cranesilk155
Summary: This story takes place after their high school graduation. Mikan has been searching for Natsume for a year already since she haven't seen him since graduation. Guess where she finds him? NxM pairing. Please R&R.


**A/N:** Hello minna! This is my first Gakuen Alice fanfic but not my first fanfic. Hope you'll like it! Enjoy reading!!

**Disclaimer:** I **don't** own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. This fan fiction is just made by my imagination (originally made by me) and any familiar incidents regarding the reader's personal experience are just pure coincidence.

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**Undying Warmth**

A certain brunette haired beauty was walking towards nowhere, her cold gloved hands holding an umbrella. Her waist-long auburn hair was neatly tucked under her bonnet and let the uncovered part sway along the direction of the cold air. It has been raining for three days continuously, not a single ray of sun has appeared and generously shared its natural heat to the shivering people. It matched her cold appearance and her hidden emotions.

Every time she walked, she made sure she checked every black haired person she met, hoping that she could meet him again. She remembered her times in the academy when the fire caster would personally offer her the heat from his fire during the cold winter.

It's been a year and three months since Mikan graduated from Alice Academy. In that school, she experienced lots of things – the first time she used her alice, first time she met people extraordinary people, she met again her best friend, had lost of friends, experienced first love, first kiss, and finally, first heartbreak.

Memories of the past bewildered her lonely walking form…

**FLASHBACK**

It was the day before their high school graduation, Mikan and her friends were making the best out of the last month they will be together. The day after tomorrow, they would be separating paths, and take the journey towards their own future.

She can't believe that the future would turn out like that. Her stoic best friend Hotaru was now together with Ruka, who was still under her blackmailing power, Sumire hasn't given up on Natsume yet, since they were in fourth grade. Anna was now with Yuu and Koko was doing his moves on Nonoko.

She was also itching to tell her long time so-called friend that she was constantly building up particular feelings for him, the black cat, a.k.a. Natsume Hyuuga.

The others were having a tea party, with Narumi-sensei as the host. She noticed him nowhere in sight. She excused herself and went to his favorite hide-out, under the shade of the sakura tree. She found him reading his usual manga, and then sat at the other side of the tree just like what she did when she first found him alone there.

"What do you want polka-dots?" He asked, without lifting his sight from the manga.

"You never changed. You've been like that since we first met." She said. She expected some sarcastic witty remarks from him but she heard none. After a few seconds, she heard him moan.

"Natsume?" She look at the other side of the tree where he sat and saw him clutching his abdomen, wincing in pain.

"Natsume!" She exclaimed, rushing to his side. "I'll go get the doctor."

She attempted to stand up and ask for help to her other friends but she was stopped by strong arms that held the sleeves of her uniform.

"You.. don't… need.. to.." He said in between pants.

"But you're in pain!" She held him, sat down and placed him on her lap, massaging the aching part. _He must be because of his mission last night._

"I told you not to! I can handle this! I've experienced this many times before!" He shouted at her. She just sat there and listened to him. Then she found that the part he was clutching was emitting a liquid and that made his black uniform slightly brownish.

"You're bleeding!" She dug into her pockets and reached for a bandage. She reached for the hem of his uniform and slowly raised it. She found her wound bleeding.

She carefully removed the blood soaked wound and replaced it with a clean set of new bandages. Her hand accidentally brushed the fresh wound and he shrieked in pain.

"Ouch! Watch your hands, baka!" He hissed in pain

"Okay! Quit moving, okay?" She said, followed by silence. She put down his uniform again when she finished bandaging his wound.

"We'll be graduating next month; we'll not see each other for a while." She broke the silence.

"…"

"As expected, you're the top student."

"…"

"We'll all be free in a month. I can finally see my grandfather."

"…"

"Got dammit Natsume! Say something!" She whacked him on the head.

"What the heck!" He stood up, and found out that the pain on his stomach was ebbing away. He patted the damaged part of his head, ruffling his own silky dark locks.

"I've been chattering away and you just said absolutely nothing!" She matched his intensive glare with an equal intensive glare too.

"What would I share? I have no one to go back too. I have no other relatives; I don't know what future lies ahead of me." He leaned his back again on the tree, sitting beside Mikan and faced the sky.

"Sorry." Mikan said slowly.

"My friends in this academy are all I have." He said with a flat, emotionless tone. Mikan was not sure whether he's sad or he doesn't give a damn.

"Sorry." She apologized again.

She waited for him to shout at her again and mentally braced herself with the upcoming loud voice. But fortunately, she heard none. Instead, she felt strong of muscular arm surround her shoulder.

He raised his right arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. He used his left hand to make her head lean on his chest. She obediently followed and loved the feeling resting on his warm, broad chest.

She was afraid to say something, thinking that Natsume would release her. _Maybe he's teasing me again._ She thought. It had happened many times during her encounter with him and after it, he would be laughing his lungs out, telling her how funny she looked.

But her thoughts were completely erased when she felt him shift in his position. He was now kneeling in front of her, slightly towering over her sitting figure. His two arms were now in both sides of her, pinning her into the tree.

His crimson eyes were intensely locked into her brown ones, and then suddenly traveled towards her lips. Her heart was beating wildly inside her ribcage, attempting to break the bones surrounding it. The beating increased to a hundred miles a minute when she saw him leaning down and slightly tilting his head towards her.

"Natsume…" She whispered when she felt his breath was inches towards hers. He just said nothing and quickly shut her eyes, preparing for the contact.

She shivered when she felt his lips gently touched hers. It was merely touching of lips but she saw more than that. It felt so natural when she felt him angle his head properly for better contact. She quickly followed his actions, not sure whether she's doing the right thing since she has never kissed anyone before.

His arms slowly found its way towards her waist and kept her closer to him. She raised her hands and wrapped it around his neck. And the kiss suddenly deepened.

He licked her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She slightly parted her lips and he quickly took advantage. He plunged his tongue towards her and she welcomed him warmly. Her own tongue danced with his boldly, even she too was surprised that she actually possessed that trait.

They released they other, panting for the lost air and after a few seconds, Natsume was planting soft kisses on her lips and her cheeks. When he saw her finished recovering the lost air, he captured her lips with his again, this time, with much intensity already. He nibbled on her lower lip while she took his upper lip.

They continued their sweet moment repeating the same gesture again and again. Release each other when they lost air and then back to business again.

His kisses were warm, unlike his cold personality. She was happy that she managed to see this side of him.

When both of them seemed to be exhausted, Natsume embraced her tight like there was no tomorrow. She hugged him back and smiled at his chest. How she loved the feeling in his arms. He stroked her hair and inhaled her sweet scent.

She needed no other clues. This was enough, him kissing her to finally conclude he loved her too. Even thought she heard no words, his actions were enough.

She mumbled to his ear, "I love you, Natsume." _It's now or never. _She thought.

He released her and looked at her intently on the eyes. The cold mask was there again.

"I know that baka. You're an open book, so transparent." He said in a flat tone. She was again confused if he's happy, or sad, scared, or whatever.

He slowly took few steps backward and said, "Sorry." He turned to his back and walked away.

She was obviously not expecting that. _So, he's just teasing me! I am such a fool! He's probably now laughing at me!_

She watched his tall figure going out of the forest, leaving her dumbfounded without even glancing back.

She felt hot tears pour down on her cheeks. She was embarrassed for responding, angry, sad, depressed, and lots of other odd feelings. She ran back towards her dormitory and cried her eyes out.

The graduation passed and she kept on looking at him. He never glanced her way, nor greeted her. He treated her as if she's invisible and transparent.

The next day, when they are all about to leave the academy, he was nowhere to be found. She looked for him and wanted to say goodbye for the last time, but she never saw a single strand of his hair.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

And until this very day, she hasn't still seen him. She still loves him and wanted to see him even her feelings were unrequited. She wanna see him successful and finally having a genuine smile.

She wanted to know why he did it without any explanation. His sudden disappearance bothered her.

She continued walking and looked at the people around her. She found herself in a secluded place, only a few people roaming. She lifted her head up found that the rain has gone. She closed her umbrella and looked at the opposite side of the road and saw a familiar figure of a man.

A blonde man whom she idolized since she was a kid, who was always understanding and guided her all they way.

"Narumi-sensei!" She called him. She hadn't seen him for a year and three months already. She continued calling him but he didn't hear her.

She followed him towards his destination and was surprised when he led her to the cemetery.

"Narumi-sensei?" she said. Finally, the man turned around and recognized her.

"Mikan?" He blinked and smiled when he realized it was indeed her. Her eyes flew to the grave and fresh flowers in front of her former teacher.

There, the name was boldly written.

**NATSUME HYUUGA**

The man who she was looking for was in just one place near her apartment never leaving his position.

"Natsume?" Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to fall by the next second.

Mr. Narumi just bowed his head low.

"How the hell did this happen?" She pounded the older man's chest.

"Calm down." He held her wrists but she was struggling.

"I've been looking for him the past year. Why hasn't anyone told me about this?" She was getting hysterical.

"Listen." Mr. Narumi wasn't going to start without her claming down. After a few minutes, she was willing to listen.

"He died three months after the graduation." He started.

"Remember, his alice, if used often will shorten his life span. He has used more than his limitation after he has beaten the Anti-Alice Organization when he was 13. He was told that he would just live for five years. "He continued. Mikan was silently weeping while listening intently. _That's why he has a bad wound that day._

"The academy forbidden him to use his alice because he would probably lessen his remaining time on earth."

"But before the graduation, he was sent to his final mission and his condition worsened." He added. "This only left him three months to live instead of one year more."

"Why didn't he tell me that? Am I the only one unaware of it?" Mikan asked between her sobs.

Mr. Narumi sadly nodded. "Natsume told us on his death bed not to tell you. That was his last wish and we just kept our word. He wanted you to move on and not be stuck with him. You can move more freely without him."

"He also told us that it was enough to know that you love him. He loved you too but he was afraid that he might be an obstacle."

"That selfish bastard! Doesn't he even think of what I would feel?" She sobbed again, looking at her beloved's grave.

"He wanted you to be happy even without him. He'll be always there for you, watching you, and guiding you." Mr. Narumi added.

"I'll never be happy without him by my side. I wasn't even beside him the day he had his last breath." Flood of tears were coming out of her eyes.

"I guess I just broke my promise to him about not telling you the truth, but it will be unfair for you." Mr. Narumi placed his flowers in Natsume's grave.

"By the way," he turned back to her who was still staring at Natsume's grave. "He told you he's sorry. He never said sorry to anyone without any deep reason." He stood up and gave a short prayer for the departed soul of Natsume.

"And, today is his first death anniversary." He said as he walked away, reluctant to see his former student crying because of his fault.

Mikan saw the fresh flowers that came from Hotaru and their other friends because their names were written on it.

She felt a ray of sun on her touched her skin and looked up to the sun shining brightly as a big ball of fire above her. It shared its natural warmth towards the people who was cold like her.

She knows he'll always be there giving his undying warmth to her whenever she felt cold. She'll forever love him and wait patiently for the moment to join him afterlife.

"I understand why you did it Natsume, however, it just pained me when you didn't let me feel that you love me when you were still alive. You had let me have this hatred towards you in my life, even though you're not worthy of it. You made me think that you cheated on me." She kneeled down in front of his grave.

"I still love you Natsume." She said and the sun shone brighter than before.

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Note: I don't know how Japanese grave originally looks like so, please bear with me!

**A/N: **Please be kind and review this one! Anyways, I will be posting the first chapter of my new multi-chaptered Gakuen Alice fic. It will be entitled **The Bet of a Lifetime **and it will be a humor fic. It is definitely not related to this one and the mood is much lighter. To all those who have read this one, please support my next GA fic too which will be up one of the following days. I've started it already and still looking further for an inspiration. :P

Please review and tell me what you think. Please don't kill me for because of this fic!


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